See the Best 2017 Music Festivals with Kids

If you are anything like our family, music runs through your home and in the car 24/7. So this year, why not center your travel plans around music festivals? They are being held in some of the best cities. Visiting these destinations gives you and your family a chance to experience a new culture and take in not only the arts, but the amazing food as well.

Coachella or Bust: The Festival Mom

I’m raising a tween, and I’m sure as most parents with children this age can relate, she’s really coming into her own. She’s developing new views, new likes, and new interests. Sometimes I can’t even keep up! But, I have noticed music to be a great topic of discussion to place us both on common ground. The last few years I’ve jokingly referred to myself as the future “Festival Mom,” but it might come a lot quicker than I realized. I guess I better trade in my “Get Off My Lawn” t-shirt for something cooler and a pair of earplugs!

Take your kids to one of these 2017 music festivals and watch their faces light up!

Tips for Going to Music Festivals with Kids

Festival Safety Tips

For starters, use the same safety rules your family implements when you visit crowded places. Make sure you have assigned a designated meeting spot just in case someone gets separated from your group. Second, make sure you stress the importance of traveling in pairs. The buddy system isn’t only for Kindergartners.

Research the Area

As far as I’m concerned, we all have access to the greatest travel guide in the entire universe and it’s free! Take advantage of Google where you can research the bands, get to know the area, and maximize your time in that city. I suggest also looking into the weather that time of year. It will help tremendously when it comes time to pack for your brood.

Alert Your Credit Card Companies

I can’t stress this enough. These companies do a great job at flagging suspicious transactions, so if you are suddenly charging up a storm for that souvenir Burning Man t-shirt or plunk down big bucks for Outstanding In The Field, then your card may get the big ixnay and be declined. A quick call before you go will save you the headache. Just mention the dates you will be gone and what your plans are so they can note your account.

For those families with teens and tweens chomping at the bit to attend their first (or fourth) concert, you might want to check out one of these 2017 music festivals.

Palm Springs, CA

Coachella

April 14-16 and 21-23, 2017

Line-up: The holy grail of music festivals is coming back to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Cochella kicks off the festival season in April with a bang for two consecutive weekends. Night one will give parents the opportunity to introduce the melancholic sounds of Radiohead to your festival trainees. Over the course of the weekend, make sure not to miss performances by Guided By Voices, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Beyoncé, Bon Ivar, Gucci Mane, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, New Order, and more. For those with older children, sneak away and make sure to spoil yourself with a ticket to Saturday night’s Outstanding In The Field where celebrity chefs prepare a culinary festival in the rose garden.

Napa Valley, CA

Bottle Rock

May 26-28, 2017

Line-up: This sold out festival is the one I’m most excited for. When I saw my two of my favorites, Williams-Sonoma and Foo Fighters, team up to headline this show I decided it was time to dust off my festival footwear and head north this May. Other bands headed to Bottle Rock this year include Maroon 5, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Modest Mouse, Silversun Pickups, Fitz & The Tantrums, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, House of Pain, Ani DiFranco, Andra Day, The Roots, Band of Horses, Live, Gavin DeGraw, and more.

Manchester, TN

Bonaroo

June 8-11, 2017

Line-up: Well it just so happens we’ll be traveling to Tennessee during this week after picking up Kiddo from Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. So we’re going to swing by and check-out Roo acts by: U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, Cage The Elephant, Teagan & Sara, Cold War Kids, and more. The Farm will be U2’s first ever U.S. festival headlining performance.

New York City

Panorama Festival

July 28-20, 2017

Line-up: This is one festival I’m extra excited for. Some of the best contemporary artists are confirmed to perform, including the return of Nine Inch Nails. Other acts on the impressive line-up include: A Tribe Called Quest, Tame Impala, MGMT, Spoon and Belle & Sebastian. This is a smaller festival on Randall’s Island, but mighty in talent.

Chicago, IL

Lollapalooza

August 3-6, 2017

Line-up: Ahhh, memories. Sure, Lolla has changed over the decades since the days I was in high school grooving to memorable performances by acts like Jane’s Addiction, Primus, and Alice In Chains, but these days the kids are headed to Grant Park for acts like LCD Soundsystem and Halsey which performed in 2016. Rumored to headline this year is Muse with supporting acts like The Chainsmokers, Arcade Fire and Frank Ocean.

Las Vegas, NV

Life is Beautiful

September 22-24, 2017

Line-up: Believe it or not from what I’ve heard this is one of the most tolerable festivals. I would expect it to be hot, gross and crowded, being in the eye of Indian Summer, but friends have told me it wasn’t bad at all for a festival. I love this festival because they do an amazing job at incorporating music with art, food and ideology. It’s a place where Stevie Wonder and Mumford & Sons can play one night. The next day after tear down, the legacy lives on around town through the artwork showcased by local artists and the likes of Shepard Fairy. No word on acts slated for this year’s festival, but it never fails to disappoint, so expect something great.